Friday, April 17, 2009

Sure, there were the two Steve Prefontaine biopics in the '90s, the great Pre documentary "Fire on the Track," and, of course, "Chariots of Fire" -- which is now 28 years old. But beyond those flicks, there aren't many films runners can turn to for inspiration.

So it was so exciting to receive word this week that Charlotteans will get the opportunity to see "Running the Sahara" on the big screen; the feature-length documentary -- narrated by Matt Damon -- follows three ultramarathoners on their 111-day, 4,300-mile attempt to run across the African desert.

According to the synopsis, "their goal is to run through Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya, and Egypt, anticipating two marathons per day, for eighty days ... without a day off." The documentary also calls attention to the clean water crisis in Africa (in fact, proceeds from the ticket sales for this event will benefit H20 Africa).

And the Charlotte event is more than just a screening: One of the runners in the film, North Carolina native Charlie Engle (pictured below), will be a featured guest at the one-night-only engagement at Ballantyne Village Theatre on April 30.

Here are the details:

WHEN: Thursday, April 30. Screening begins at 7:45 p.m.; a live Q&A with Engle will follow the screening.

TICKETS: General admission is $18, and includes the screening, the Q&A and concession specials. $35 VIP passes add a pre-screening reception (at 7 p.m.) and a gift bag with a DVD of the film. To purchase tickets, click here.

About this blog

Théoden (pronounced "THAY-den") Janes, the Observer's pop culture writer, caught the running bug in September 2008. His PRs are 20:12 for a 5K, 44:48 for a 10K, 1:28:50 for a half-marathon, and 3:13:26 for a marathon.